On our recent paddling excursion to Rangitoto disaster struck. I’m not sure if the paddle was faulty or if Mark Taylor was just too powerful, but either way the end result was a snapped paddle, making the return journey look pretty challenging. In a similar vein, on a rafting trip down the Upper Mohaka earlier this year, a combination of a nasty tear in one of the rafts and a damaged glue pot made undertaking repairs pretty challenging.

In both cases what saved the day were cool heads, a bit of experience and duct tape. A stick and some duct tape made a workable splint for the paddle, whilst layers of duct tape and some gentle inflation, coupled with a bit of crew and gear shuffling, got us down the river and safety home.

Both these events made me think about the projects that we are involved with on a daily basis. Along the way something almost always goes wrong and sometimes it can be a major. So, there’s a lot to be said for working with a team who are innovative, have considerable experience and who keep their composure under pressure. Here at Crux we’ve got all that….plus we never go anywhere without a roll of duct tape!